Board of Education Candidates Field Questions

Fifteen of 17 candidates running for the Board of Education fielded questions from the audience at the on Tuesday, tackling issues ranging from the state’s relationship with to the superintendent’s contract.

It was the first of three forums that are being hosted by the Neighborhood Alliance along with the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut. The groups are also holding a forum of City Council candidates on Oct. 18 and mayoral candidates on Oct. 24, both at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center.

The first question candidates received related to the state deciding to take a more active role in the schools and Board of Education. Lol Fearon, chief of the Bureau of Accountability and Improvement, told the board at its September meeting that the board must make an more cooperative effort to improve the district’s academic performance. Most candidates said it was a sign that the board should create clearer goals to avoid a possible state takeover.

Only eight of the candidates answered a question on whether an “evergreen” contract such as that earlier this year is proper. Most of the candidates who answered said they did not support such a contract.

On a question of whether the city and school financial departments should be combined, some candidates were in favor, some were neutral, and some said they were uncertain. Most candidates spoke in favor of raising the academic requirement for sports participation, but differed on the standard that should be set. Each candidate also voiced their support for arts programs, but some suggested that funding for such programs would have to be a lower priority than funding essential supplies such as textbooks.

The following is a summary of each candidate’s remarks at the debate:

Jason Catala (Republican)

Catala, an incumbent, said he wants to bring up questions on issues at the board meetings, even if it means a late night. “If it’s right, I’ll vote for it,” he said. “If it’s not, I’m not going to support it.” Catala said the board has , but that the process has stalled until a mayor is chosen. He was cautious about setting academic standards too high for sports performance, saying it can be an incentive to work harder but that some students may not be able to do better than a C despite hard work. He said he supported increased time spent on art as well as increased partnerships with area galleries and museums. Catala said he has .

Peg Curtin (Democrat)

Curtin said she would like to see the board return to holding two meetings a month, to be held in the where they can be filmed and broadcast live. She said there have been efforts to consolidate financial services but that they have stalled at an administrative level. She supported raising the grade point average requirement to participate in sports, as well as allowing teachers more freedom in proposing ideas and curriculum. “They’re right on the front line,” she said. “They know these kids and they can advise us.” 

Reona Dyess (Democrat)

Dyess said the board and superintendent must know they’re accountable to state officials. She said consolidating financial services is an idea worth considering, and that transparency is needed in the district’s budget. She said more parental involvement is also needed, as well as a way to keep encouraging student excitement about school from a young age onward.

Rob Funk (Democrat)

“I think it’s good to shake things up sometimes,” Funk said regarding board relations, but added that a common message and goals are also needed. He said he supported financial consolidation, and that sports are an enriching experience that a student should not be deprived of if they are struggling in a single subject. He supported finding money for arts programs by seeking out and eliminating unproductive programs, saying he has the financial experience for such a task.

Sharon Giesing (Republican)

“It is a failing school system…We need new blood,” Giesing said. A new board needs to write new policy and have a clear direction, she said. Giesing also supported consolidating financial services, opposed an evergreen contract for the superintendent, and said she wants to ensure adequate school supplies and strengthening education at an elementary school level.

Elizabeth Garcia Gonzales (Democrat)

Gonzales said she would like to see improvement in the district’s curriculum as well as literacy and bilingual programs. “We all need to work better as a team,” she said. “We are the voice of the children, as well as everyone who elects you, and the teachers.” She said she is in favor of financial consolidation, but wants more information on potential drawbacks. Gonzales also opposed an evergreen contract for the superintendent, a C average for sports participation, and more involvement with at-risk students.

Loreen Lockwood (Unaffiliated)

Lockwood said she wants to see more cooperation on the board as well as increased family involvement. She said she was unsure whether she would support financial consolidation, but would want more funding for the arts as well as a strict academic average for sports participation. “I say B+ or you don’t play a sport,” she said.

Barbara Major (Republican)

Major, an incumbent, said discord among the current board members has inhibited progress. “I think because three board members [Susan Connolly, Louise Hanrahan, and Al Kinsall] are not running, we can get things done,” she said. Major said she thinks Fischer has done good work for the schools, but that there are too many administrators in the district and that the board needs to set a direction for the district to take; she also opposed renewing Fischer's contract due to the evergreen aspect. She said the current board has taken steps to consolidate services, that athletes who aren’t academically performing should not be barred from a sport but suspended until they improve, and that funding for supplies should be a priority.

Mirna Martinez (Green)

Martinez said she was concerned about language arts and math test scores. She said she supported more community engagement efforts, especially with minorities, as well as a strong arts program. She said she was uncertain if she would support financial consolidation, but felt a similar initiative with LEARN was unsuccessful. She said academic standards for athletes relate more to the process of improving the teaching process. “What we actually need is out of the box thinkers,” she said. “We’re looking at the end point and not the process.”

Bill Morse (Democrat)

“I’d like to serve another two years, because of all the unfinished work,” said Morse, an incumbent. Morse said the board needs to set clearer goals, and that he would like to see improvement in reading scores and skills seniors will have on graduation. He said the “silver lining” of the state warning is that the district can receive more assistance from the state. Morse also said the board has worked toward financial consolidation but must wait until a mayor is elected to proceed and that individual schools can examine improving arts through parent-teacher organizations and partnerships with local art organizations. Morse said he thinks Fischer is a capable superintendent, but needs more direction and measurable goals from the board.

Delanna Muse (Democrat)

Muse said the state should wait until the new board is in place and meeting to see how it functions. She supported streamlining financial departments and other services as much as possible to allocate more funds to places that will benefit students and teachers. “The classrooms will be workshops where they can express creative thinking,” she said. Muse said there should be a 2.5 grade point average minimum for sports participation.

Eric Parnes (Unaffiliated)

Parnes said he was upset about the district’s poor performance on state academic tests, and wants to reduce the number of administrators. “If you think about it, we have a dysfunctional state and they’re telling us what to do,” he said. Parnes said he opposes an evergreen contract for the superintendent, supports financial consolidation, a C average for sports participation, and funding arts through money saving by cutting administration costs.

Sylvia Potter (Democrat)

Potter said she and her family have been involved in the schools, and that it was “devastating and personally offensive to me” to learn about the district’s low test scores. She said she wants to see more supplies and arts programs in the schools, more parental involvement, and stronger academic support for athletes so they have options if they cannot pursue a professional sports career. She said she was uncertain whether she would support financial consolidation.

Ronna Stuller (Green)

Stuller, an incumbent, said she has been bipartisan in her time on the board and wants to encourage stronger connections between the board, city, and community. She said she plans to bring up the question of ceasing the evergreen contract when it can be addressed again in the spring. Stuller said she would support stronger academic standards for sports participation and connections with the arts community. “It would not really cost that much money to tap into the local arts scene,” she said.

Carlos Wimberly (Republican)

Wimberly said he is running because “I really want to get to understand if we are falling short in New London.” He said he believes that all of the candidates have the best interests of the city’s children in mind, but that it will be essential for the new board to cooperate. He said he was neutral on the issue of combining finance departments, as he was concerned that transparency as to where funds go could be lost. He supported raising academic standards to a C average, but doing it for all students rather than just athletes. He said he supported the arts, but considers reading and comprehension the first priorities for the schools.

Republican candidates Corina Vendetto and Heidi Cooper were not present at the forum. According to the moderator, Vendetto is currently out of the country on a nursing assignment.

Correction: The article originally named Bill Morse as a Republican. Morse is a Democratic candidate.